Car-fender



(No Model. 1 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. J. KIRKNESS.

GAR FENDER.

No. 544,854. Patented Aug. 20, 1895.

2 I z t 7 W F A J J o 1 I Z 2: K L O- W WNESSES; fl%%aJ/Z2/ZMJ INVENTOB(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. KIRKNESS.

GAR FENDER.

No. 544,854. Patented 4 20,1895.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

wa ren STATES ATENT OFFI JOHN JAS. KIRKNESS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,854, dated August20, 1895.

- Application filed April 20, 1895. Serial No. 546,578- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JAMES KIRKNESS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland,have in vented certainnew and useful Improvements in CarFenders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements insafety-fenders for street-cars.

One object of the invention is to providea fender combining certainimproved features of construction to prevent aperson run down by the carfrom getting under the wheels, and another object is to providemechanism to shut off and reverse the current when the fender is used onan electric car.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- IFigure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a car with my inventionapplied. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the electric controller. Fig.3 is a detail showing a portion of the fender-frame and the slidingcushion-rods. Figs. 4 and ,5 are a front and a side view, respectively,of the roller-brackets in which the cushion-rods slide. Fig. 6 is a topor plan View of the front fender. Fig. 7 is a rear view of thefrontfender. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the wheel-guard.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates one end of a car,and B the sides of the car immediately below the roof. front fender hasa horizontal platform E, the side bars of which have their rear endspivoted at h to the lower ends of the side bars of an upright back F,which latter extends across in front of the car. J ointed-braces I,

connecting said platform and back, permit of the fender being raised u pvertically parallel with the latter. The front platform E is coveredwith rope or wire netting U, and each side bar of the platform has atits front end a T coupling-piece n, and a rope T is threaded throughsaid two T-pieces and extends horizontally back and forth a number oftimes across the front edge of the fender. This rope yields or giveswhen struck by an object, and thus partially cushions the shock receivedby said object. The upright back F is also covered by netting made intwo sections, which are separate or independent- The the two ends andlower part V and the center and upper part The netting W may be raisedor folded up when desired on the fram erods in order to allow thecar-coupler (not shown) to project through to engage with the coupler onan adjoining car.

A rod 0 extends longitudinally at each side B of the car and slides inloops or eyes M, and the front ends e of these rods project forward ofthe car. A chain or cord D is pendent from said ends 6, and is attachedto the front fender E at f and assists to hold the same normallyelevated above the street -surface. The rods 0 may be slid back in theloops M when the platform E is tilted up parallel with the back F, so asto effect a saving of space in the car-house where the cars are stored.

The fender is provided with means to allow it to yield back, so as tocushion the shock received by the person run down.

The carbody A is provided on its bottom, at each side, with a hanger P,and two yokeshaped roller-brackets L are in rear of the hanger. Eachroller-bracket has two rollers is, mounted on shafts m, journaled in theyokearms Z. A horizontal rod is has one end attached rigidly to theupright back F and passes loosely through an opening in the hanger P andalso between the two rollers of each yoke-bracket. cles the rod Kbetween a head i thereon and the hanger P. This spring keeps the fenderprojected forward. With this construction the impact or blow of anobject encountered by the fender will cause the springs to yield andallow the fender to yield backward, the rods K sliding rearward in theroller-brackets L. When the fender is relieved of the pressare in front,the relaxation of the springs J will cause the fender to be projectedforward to its normal position. When the shock of contact occurs, therods G assist to support the fender and will slide back in theirloops M,andt'nus offer no resistance to the backward movement. l V

I provide mechanism coacting with the front fender and the cushioningmechanism above described to shut off or to reverse the current of anelectric car when the fender is used thereon. Of course this'mechanismwill not be employed when the fender is used on a cable car. A rod Hextends vertically above A spiral spring .I encir-.

the car-platform and has its upper end fitted loosely in a socket R inthe car-roof. The lower end of this vertical rod is pivoted at b to arearward extension G of the upright back F. The electric controller Z, asection of which is shown in Fig. 2, has a handle or arm (Z connectedwith the controlling mechanism and extended through and is exposed onthe exterior of the controller-casing, and a loop or eye 0 on the rod Hencircles said exteriorlyexposed end. I have not deemed it necessaryhere to show in detail the entire mechanism of the controller, as it isevident that the parts herein shown and described may be operativelyconnected therewith.

When the fender encounters an object and yields back, as beforedescribed, the lower end of the rod II will be moved backward and theloop or eye 0 thereon will act on the bandle or arm 01 and throw it backfar enough to reversethe current-controlling, mechanism, and upon thereturn forward of the fender by'the springs J to its normal position thehandle or arm 01 will be turned back far enough to shut off the currentand stop the car from moving.

A wheel-guard or rear fender N is provided to prevent a personfrom'getting under the wheels should, by any chance, the front fenderfail to pick him up. This wheel-guard extends across below the car inrear of the front fender parts. A curved brace O is provided tostrengthen the wheel-guard, andplates Q are provided, through whichbolts or screws may be passed to attach the guard to the car.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim is- 1. In a fender forstreetcars, the combination of an upright back, F; a horizontalplatform, E, adapted to be tilted up parallel therewith; jointed braces,I, connecting said back and platform; sliding rods, C, extendinglongitudinally at the top of the car; and a chain or cord, D, connectingbetween said sliding rods and the horizontal platform to assist insupporting the latter.

2. In a fender for street cars, the combination of an upright back, F; ahorizontalplat- .form, E, adapted to be tilted up parallel therewith;jointed braces, I, connecting said back and platform; a pendent hanger,P, and rollerbrackets on the bottom of the car; horizontal rods, K,connected with said upright back and passing through the said pendenthanger and between the rollers on the brackets; and springs around therods between the upright back and hanger, as and for the purposedescribed.

3. In a fender for street cars, the combination of a car; an electriccontroller thereon having a handle arm, d; a fender projecting in frontof the car; rearwardly-moving horizontal cushion-rods, K, connected withthe fender; springs, J, acting on the rods to keep said rods and fendernorm-ally projected forward; a vertical rod, H, above the car plat;

form having its upper end pivoted; a rod, G,

connecting between said vertical rod and the fender; and a loop on therod connecting between said vertical rod and the handle-arm of thecontroller, whereby the rearward movement of the fender when it strikesan object will cause the reversal of the current, and then the forwardprojection of the fender by the springs will shut off the current.

JOHN JAS. KIRKNESS. lVitnesses:

J. W. WOODLAND, BRUCE B. (Rooms.

